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AC/DC

Formed in Sydney in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, AC/DC built one of the most immediately recognisable sounds in rock history — huge riffs, relentless rhythm guitar, and an electrifying live presence that filled stadiums for five decades. Back in Black alone has sold over 50 million copies.

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Formed
1973
Origin
Sydney, AU
Albums
17
Records Sold
200M+
Latest Album
Power Up
Background

About AC/DC

AC/DC formed in Sydney on 31 October 1973 when Malcolm Young placed an advert for musicians and his younger brother Angus joined almost immediately. Both had been born in Glasgow, Scotland, and emigrated to Australia as children — part of a large Young family that also included George Young of the Easybeats, who would later produce several of the band's early albums. From the start, the music was built around Malcolm's locked-in rhythm guitar and Angus's fluid, blues-rooted lead work, a partnership that would define the band's sound for five decades.

The early years were defined by Bon Scott, a Scottish-born vocalist who joined in 1974 and brought a wild, unpredictable energy to the band's already confrontational music. Albums including High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Let There Be Rock, Powerage and Highway to Hell established AC/DC as one of the most exciting live acts in hard rock — abrasive, funny, sexually provocative and technically tighter than they ever let on. Highway to Hell (1979) was the moment they broke internationally, with a title track that remains one of the great rock songs. Bon Scott died of acute alcohol poisoning in February 1980, aged 33, just as the band were on the verge of their biggest success.

Rather than disband, AC/DC recruited Brian Johnson — vocalist of British band Geordie — and made Back in Black, one of the most extraordinary records in rock history. Conceived as a tribute to Bon Scott, recorded in six weeks, it sold over 50 million copies and became the second best-selling album of all time behind only Thriller. Johnson's gravel-and-glass voice worked differently from Scott's — less theatrical, more immediate — and the band's sound simplified still further into the most powerful version of itself. For Those About to Rock We Salute You, Fly on the Wall, The Razors Edge and Black Ice followed across the next three decades, with varying critical reception but never much deviation from the formula. Power Up (2020) was recorded as a tribute to Malcolm Young, who died in 2017 after a long battle with dementia, and reassembled the classic Johnson-era line-up one more time.

Ranked

Top 10 AC/DC Songs

Ranked by songwriting craft, cultural impact, live legacy and how well each track represents what AC/DC do at their best.

01
Back in Black
Back in Black
The opening riff is four notes and it's one of the most recognisable sounds in rock. Written as a tribute to Bon Scott, recorded in six weeks with a new vocalist nobody had heard of, and it became one of the best-selling albums ever. The title track itself distils everything AC/DC do into four minutes of perfect hard rock — no fat, no filler, just Malcolm's rhythm guitar and Angus's lead locked into a groove that never gets old.
1980
02
Highway to Hell
Highway to Hell
Bon Scott's defining moment and the song that broke AC/DC internationally. The chorus is one of the great communal rock moments — everybody knows it, everybody sings it, and it works equally well at a stadium and on a car radio. Produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, it was the first time the band's rawness had been captured cleanly enough to translate to a mainstream audience without losing any of its power.
1979
03
Thunderstruck
The Razors Edge
Angus Young's opening guitar figure — a rapid single-string run played for nearly a minute before the rest of the band enters — is one of the most tension-building intros in rock. The song became the band's second wind in 1990, introducing them to a new generation while satisfying the existing fanbase. It remains their most-played song on streaming platforms and one of the most used tracks in sports arenas worldwide.
1990
04
You Shook Me All Night Long
Back in Black
AC/DC at their most pop-accessible — which is still considerably heavier than most rock radio. The verses have a swing to them that comes directly from the blues tradition the band was built on, and the chorus is one of their most singable moments. It was their first significant US chart hit and remains the song most casual listeners know first. Brian Johnson's performance here is arguably his finest recorded moment.
1980
05
Hells Bells
Back in Black
The opening track on Back in Black begins with a bell tolling — a deliberate tribute to Bon Scott — before settling into one of the band's most ominous and atmospheric riffs. It's slower than most AC/DC material, which gives it a weight and drama that the faster songs don't quite have. The song introduced Brian Johnson to the world, and the choice to open with something this solemn was a statement of intent about how the band intended to handle their grief.
1980
06
Whole Lotta Rosie
Let There Be Rock
A live staple since 1977 and the song that captures the Bon Scott era's raw swagger most completely. The riff was written by Malcolm Young after a tour incident in Tasmania — the song is about a very large woman Scott encountered — and it has a lumbering, joyful physicality that makes it one of the most crowd-responsive songs in the catalogue. The call-and-response breakdown became one of rock's great audience participation moments.
1977
07
T.N.T.
High Voltage (International)
The simplest and most chant-ready song in the catalogue. "Oi! Oi! Oi!" was taken directly from Australian terrace culture and turned into a rock anthem that works in any language. The riff is deceptively basic — it's built from the same two-chord vocabulary as the blues — but Malcolm's rhythm guitar gives it a propulsive momentum that makes it feel much bigger than its component parts.
1975
08
Shoot to Thrill
Back in Black
One of the strongest tracks on Back in Black and a song that tends to rank higher with people who know the album well than with casual listeners. The opening drum roll and guitar riff build tension before the track locks into a groove that's simultaneously relaxed and powerful. It became widely known to a new generation when used in the Iron Man 2 soundtrack in 2010.
1980
09
Let There Be Rock
Let There Be Rock
A seven-minute statement of purpose that builds from a brief history of rock and roll into one of the band's most extended and explosive performances. Angus Young's live version — which could stretch past fifteen minutes — remains one of the legendary guitar showcase moments in rock history. The studio version is already remarkable; the song exists in a category of its own within the AC/DC catalogue.
1977
10
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
For Those About to Rock
The cannons that fire during the song's climax became one of rock's most theatrical live moments, deployed at every major AC/DC show for four decades. The song itself is a mid-tempo anthem that doesn't quite match the best of Back in Black but has accumulated an unstoppable live authority. It closes almost every AC/DC set, and the cannon fire has become one of rock's most recognisable closing rituals.
1981

For the full ranking see the best AC/DC songs guide.

Discography

AC/DC Albums: Where to Start

Key albums with honest notes on who each one is for.

1975
High Voltage (International)
Start here if: you want the earliest sound
The international debut compilation drawing from the two Australian-only albums. Contains T.N.T., The Jack and Live Wire. Raw and energetic, essential for understanding where the band started.
1977
Let There Be Rock
Start here if: you want the Bon Scott era at full power
The album where AC/DC stopped being a promising band and became a great one. Let There Be Rock, Whole Lotta Rosie and Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be are among the finest things they ever recorded. Rawer and more explosive than what followed.
1978
Powerage
Start here if: you want the fan-favourite deep cut album
Consistently cited by hardcore fans as their best album, though it's less well-known than those around it. Riff Raff, Sin City and Rock 'n' Roll Damnation are among the strongest Bon Scott-era tracks. Gritty, bluesy and relentless.
1979
Highway to Hell
⭐ Best starting point: Bon Scott era
The most polished Bon Scott record and the one that broke AC/DC internationally. The title track, Girls Got Rhythm and Touch Too Much show a band reaching peak songwriting clarity. Produced by Mutt Lange, it sounds bigger and more immediate than anything before it.
1980
Back in Black
⭐ Best starting point: overall and Brian Johnson era
The second best-selling album in history and one of the greatest hard rock records ever made. Every track is strong — Hells Bells, Back in Black, You Shook Me All Night Long, Shoot to Thrill, Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution. If you only hear one AC/DC album, it's this one.
1981
For Those About to Rock We Salute You
Start here if: you want to follow up Back in Black
The follow-up to Back in Black and another major success, though not quite at the same level. The title track, Let's Get It Up and Inject the Venom are the highlights. Best understood as a confirmation that the band's new sound was here to stay.
1990
The Razors Edge
Start here if: you want the 90s comeback
A decade after Back in Black, AC/DC returned with Thunderstruck and Moneytalks and introduced themselves to a new generation. Not as consistent as the classic albums but contains two of their most durable songs.
2020
Power Up
Start here if: you want current AC/DC
Recorded as a tribute to Malcolm Young with the classic Johnson-era line-up. A confident, competent late-career album that doesn't reinvent anything but delivers exactly what fans want. Realize and Shot in the Dark are the standouts.
History

AC/DC: Key Moments

1973
Formation in Sydney
Malcolm Young places a newspaper advert and forms AC/DC with younger brother Angus on 31 October 1973. Both had emigrated from Glasgow as children. George Young, their older brother and member of the Easybeats, would later produce several early albums.
1974
Bon Scott joins
David "Bon" Scott, a Scottish-born vocalist already in his late twenties, joins AC/DC after impressing the Young brothers with his wild personality and powerful voice. His arrival defines the band's early identity and begins one of rock's great singer-band partnerships.
1977
Let There Be Rock establishes them internationally
Let There Be Rock breaks AC/DC into the European and American markets for the first time. The band's relentless touring schedule — they were famous for playing 200+ shows a year — converts new audiences night after night. The title track becomes a concert centrepiece that will stretch to fifteen minutes in Angus's live guitar showcase.
1979
Highway to Hell breaks them worldwide
Produced by Mutt Lange, Highway to Hell becomes AC/DC's first album to crack the US top 100 and their first genuine international hit. The title track is played on mainstream radio for the first time. The band are on the verge of their biggest success when tragedy strikes.
1980
Bon Scott dies; Back in Black
Bon Scott is found dead in a car in London on 19 February 1980, aged 33, from acute alcohol poisoning. The band considers disbanding but instead recruits Brian Johnson of Geordie. In six weeks they record Back in Black as a tribute. It becomes the second best-selling album in history.
1990
Thunderstruck and the second comeback
The Razors Edge gives AC/DC a commercial resurgence a decade after Back in Black. Thunderstruck introduces the band to a new generation and becomes one of their most-played songs globally. The track's use in sports arenas and film trailers would make it ubiquitous through the 1990s and beyond.
2003
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction
AC/DC are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Steven Tyler of Aerosmith presents the award. The band performs Highway to Hell and You Shook Me All Night Long at the ceremony.
2017
Malcolm Young dies
Malcolm Young, co-founder, rhythm guitarist and the creative engine behind AC/DC's sound, dies on 18 November 2017 aged 64 after a long battle with dementia. He had been quietly replaced by his nephew Stevie Young on the Rock or Bust tour while his condition was kept private. His loss marks the end of an era.
2020
Power Up — a tribute to Malcolm
Power Up is released as a tribute to Malcolm Young, using riffs and ideas he had stockpiled over the years. The classic Johnson-era line-up reunites with Stevie Young on rhythm guitar. The album debuted at number 1 in 21 countries, demonstrating that AC/DC's audience remained enormous five decades after formation.
Test Yourself

AC/DC Trivia Quiz

Five questions — how many can you get right?

Where to Start

Best AC/DC Songs by Listening Mood

Not sure where to begin? Use this as your entry point.

First song ever
Back in Black
Bon Scott at his best
Highway to Hell
Stadium energy
Thunderstruck
Most singalong
You Shook Me All Night Long
Most atmospheric
Hells Bells
Raw early power
Let There Be Rock
Best deep cut
Riff Raff
Best live moment
Whole Lotta Rosie
Questions

AC/DC FAQs

When did AC/DC form?
AC/DC formed in Sydney, Australia on 31 October 1973, when Malcolm Young placed a newspaper advert for musicians and his younger brother Angus joined almost immediately. Both had emigrated from Glasgow, Scotland to Sydney as children.
Who are the current members of AC/DC?
The current line-up is Angus Young (lead guitar, founding member), Brian Johnson (lead vocals), Stevie Young (rhythm guitar, nephew of Malcolm Young), Cliff Williams (bass) and Matt Laug (drums). Cliff Williams has semi-retired but returned for the Power Up album and tour.
What is AC/DC's most famous song?
Back in Black is their most recognisable song globally and one of the most famous rock tracks ever recorded. Highway to Hell, Thunderstruck and You Shook Me All Night Long are also among the most widely known songs in rock history.
What is the best AC/DC album to start with?
Back in Black (1980) is the clear starting point — it's the second best-selling album in history and contains the band's most iconic songs. For the Bon Scott era, Highway to Hell (1979) is the ideal first album. Fans who want the rawest, most explosive sound should try Let There Be Rock (1977) or Powerage (1978).
How many records has AC/DC sold?
AC/DC have sold over 200 million records worldwide. Back in Black alone has sold over 50 million copies, making it the second best-selling album in history behind Michael Jackson's Thriller.
Who was Bon Scott?
David "Bon" Scott was AC/DC's vocalist from 1974 until his death in February 1980, aged 33. Scottish-born and raised in Australia, he brought an irreverent, theatrical personality to the band that defined their early identity. He fronted the classic albums from High Voltage through to Highway to Hell. His death from acute alcohol poisoning in London remains one of rock's great tragedies.
Can I play a rock guessing game with AC/DC tracks?
Yes — RockHeardle includes AC/DC tracks. Guess the song from a short audio clip, free to play.